Tom Hallett

The ripple of applause as the new batsman strolls out to take guard at the crease. The rustle of a picnicker frantically searching his hamper for that last sausage roll. The relaxing drone of the urn, heating water for another round of teas. The thwack of leather on willow as the former England cricketer they call “Rhino”, Darren Gough, scores another massive six off the bowling of Australia’s retired Test great Glenn McGrath.… Read more

Bacon and maple syrup. Chilli and chocolate. Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga. Just a few collaborations that shouldn’t work, but somehow do.

The same could be said for the partnership of pizza and cider. Did the people who invented pizza drink cider with their margheritas? They probably would have if they invented it in Dorset.

Ahh, Dorset – the home of the Dorset Knob, a giant chalk knob, Shaftesbury’s “Hovis Hill” and two Thomas Hardys – Hardy the author and Hardy the sailor who is only known for granting Lord Nelson’s dying wish at the Battle of Trafalgar (“kiss me hardy” and all that).… Read more

I might be showing my age here, but is there anything better than a village fete on a warm and sunny summer’s day?

OK, maybe there is. But there aren’t many other places where you get to drink tea andbeer in the same sitting, bowl for a pig, watch a tug of war tournament (which used to be an Olympic sport don’t you know), get your face painted and eat endless cakes and scones.… Read more

As you may have realised, I like good beer. And, while I’m not adverse to the odd lager when nothing else is available, I was wondering how I’d feed my beer addiction on our recent city break to Valencia. After all, on my previous trips to Spain, the only beers that were available were local mass-produced lagers – usually San Miguel or Estrella Damm.… Read more

Valencia is a great place to cycle. It’s pretty flat, the roads are relatively quiet (especially the back streets), there’s a network of segregated cycle paths and pedestrians seem happy enough to share the pavements with cyclists. Plus, you can hire a bike for around £6 a day.

We hired bikes on our second full day in the city. This was so we could cycle down to L’Oceanografic (oceanarium), which is part of the City of Arts and Sciences complex near the port.… Read more

Valencia, like many other places in Spain, is famous for tapas. Surely then, it should be easy to find a decent tapas bar in Valencia’s old town?

Not so. Even the people we spoke to in the shops couldn’t recommend a good place within walking distance, despite the fact that every restaurant and bar in the old town seemingly had tapas on the menu – even the non-Spanish establishments.… Read more